Volunteers needed for Open Tuning 2023

Open Tuning 2023 needs your help! We are committed to bringing back a live and in-person Open Tuning Festival on June 10th, 2023, but we need organizing committee volunteers to make it happen. Communications and planning help is needed right now, and we will call out for more festival logistics volunteers in the coming weeks.

If you love live music and want to see a return of this great community event, please write to opentune.coordinator@gmail.com.

It’s fun, and not a lot of work, but we really need some helpers to get it up and running.

We can’t wait to see you all on porches, in garages, and in laneways, bringing live music back to the neighbourhood on June 10th!

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Today is Festival Day!

Join us online! Over 30 musical performers ranging from folk to funk and everything between!

View live streaming performances ( Facebook live, Instagram live, Youtube livestream…)

View pre-recorded musical sets (available throughout the day).

Full festival schedule with links to all performances:
https://opentuningfestival.wordpress.com/2021-open-tuning-performers/

SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE!

Like what you hear? Remember to share, like and re-post performances you visit using the hashtag #OpenTuning21

Help build the momentum and promote our wonderful artists to make this year’s festival a HUGE success.

We look forward to seeing you online!

Your Open Tuning Volunteer Organizers.


This year, in lieu of a donation to the festival, we ask that audience members support festival performers by purchasing their music and merch or by donating to organizations who financially support musicians, such as the Unison Benevolent Fund. This program – created and administered for the music community, by the music community – provides both financial relief and health/counselling support to music industry professionals in times of crisis. Learn more at http://www.unisonfund.ca/

Open Tuning 2021 performers

This Saturday, June 5, from 2 to 10 pm, check out the amazing performers at the 2021 Open Tuning Festival.

This link will take you to the complete schedule, with links to all 34 online performances.
https://opentuningfestival.wordpress.com/2021-open-tuning-performers/

There are two types of performance this year. WATCH ANYTIME performances are pre-recorded and can be enjoyed throughout the day. Check the schedule for details.

LIVE performances are scheduled for specific times. Check the schedule for details.


Musical Greetings from Open Tuning 2021!

Russell Leon, musician and Open Tuning volunteer, gives us toe-tapping introduction to the 2021 festival.

For the second year in a row, we are taking Open Tuning online. Over the past seven years, this completely free, DIY festival has been bringing people together through a one-day live music event. On Saturday, June 5th, from 2:00 – 10:00 p.m., we are inviting people to celebrate music by performing in the comfort of their own homes and sharing their music virtually. The festival is open to musicians of all ages and levels of experience and all genres of music.

Look for the hashtag #opentuning21 on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram

For more information, go to http://www.opentuning.org

Open Tuning Music Festival 2021

For the second year in a row, we are taking Open Tuning online. Over the past seven years, this completely free, DIY festival has been bringing people together through a one-day live music event.

On Saturday, June 5th, from 2:00 – 10:00 p.m., we are inviting people to celebrate music by performing in the comfort of their own homes and sharing their music virtually. The festival is open to musicians of all ages and levels of experience and all genres of music.

MUSICIAN REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED. Thanks to everyone who signed up! See you this Saturday!

Inspired by La Fete de la Musique in Paris, France, Open Tuning was founded in Toronto in 2013 by a group of Seaton Village residents looking to fill the alleyways, sidewalks, garages, porches and parks with beautiful, free music for all to enjoy. While we cannot gather in person this year, we still want to share the joy of music together.

Our volunteers will post the festival day schedule on the Open Tuning website (www.opentuning.org) and help musicians promote their performances through our social media feeds. We are inviting musicians to spread the word about the festival on social media, using the #OpenTuning21 hashtag.

In lieu of a donation to the festival, we ask that audience members support the festival performers by purchasing their music or donating to organizations who financially support musicians, such as the Unison Benevolent Fund. This program – created and administered for the music community, by the music community – provides both financial relief and health/counselling support to music industry professionals in times of crisis. Learn more at http://www.unisonfund.ca/.

Welcome to Open Tuning 2020!

Below is a list of known performers for today’s’ virtual festival. You can discover all performers by searching today’s festival hashtag #opentuning20 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

PerformerShow timeLive/RecordedPlatformHandleInfo
Ian Sinclairall day Pre-recorded video at 10amYoutubeeyelinkTotal Bass Funkademic!!!! : 10am https://youtu.be/JEy7YGluXA4 (new url btw)
Meg Tennantall day after 1pm pre-recordedFacebook@megtennantmusicpre-recorded video available after 1:00, folk/roots, “sweet vocals & soulful lyrics”
Hayley Verrall1:00pmLiveFacebook@HayleyVerallMusicaward winning country singer/songwriter
Storm Free2:00pmLiveFacebook@StormFree47Phish cover band from Toronto, We have a VERY special announcement about Saturday’s backyard stream…we are so excited to have the one and only @jskyeengel joining us on socially-distant bass!!
Sofia Kay2:00pmLiveInstagram@sofiaakaytalented young singer/songwriter will be performing several new songs https://www.instagram.com/sofiaakay/?igshid=1aqmjjlht9kfc
Claire Mason3:00pmLiveInstagram@ClaireMasonMusic on FB, @clairemason10 on Insta
Paul Cafcae5:30pmLiveFacebook@paulcafcaemusicsongwriter and performer; Blues, Rockabilly, and Indie Folk
Paul Cafcae6:30pmLiveInsta & Youtube@paulcafcaemusic, youtube.com/paulcafcaemusicsongwriter and performer; Blues, Rockabilly, and Indie Folk
Jem Ucar7:00pmLiveInstagram@akustiksevenacoustic folk/rock singer/songwriter
Spencer Scharf7:30pmLiveFacebook@spencerscharfmusicBlues and Folk multi instrumentalist from Ottawa, Canada.
Rob ElliotAll day pre-recordedInsta & FB@swizzlestudio on Insta, @robswizzle on FBRob Elliott, second accordionist with perennial Open Tuning band Sore Boozers, performs some Old Tyme New Wave on the ukulele.
Facebook (8 minute concert): https://www.facebook.com/robswizzle
Instagram (alternate take of Spider-Man Theme, 58 seconds): https://www.instagram.com/swizzlestudio/
Raina Krangle9:00pmLiveInsta & FB@RainaKrangleMusic on bothCanadiana 🇨🇦folk/rock w/ a twist of country. Catchy songs of ❤️, life & environmental.
Scroll right to see more info

Thanks to all today’s musicians who re-invented their live performance in order to take part. You are all amazing!

Remember Open Tuning is a Festival for anyone to perform, no matter what genre, age or skill level. So please like, react and leave comments – and let’s keep it positive 🙂

Important Announcement: Open Tuning 2020

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Open Tuning Music Festival 2020

For six years Open Tuning has been bringing people together through a special 1 day live music event.  Unfortunately the ongoing hazard of Covid-19 has made it unsafe to gather in large groups.  In the name of public health responsibility, we have made the decision to cancel the festival for spring 2020.

But all is not lost.  We encourage people to celebrate music by performing in the comforts of their own homes and to share their music virtually as we move through this pandemic together. 

On June 6th, artists can share their pre-recorded or live streaming performances with us on our social media feeds by using the hashtag #opentuning20.  We will share and promote them with our online audience as best we can.  

In lieu of a donation to the festival, we ask that everyone in our audience support musicians by donating to their fundraising efforts, purchasing their music, or donating to organizations who financially support musicians such as AFC who support entertainment industry professionals in need of financial assistance:   https://afchelps.ca/covid-19-guide/

 

We thank all of you for your continued support and interest in the festival.  Keep playing, listening and supporting music, and we look forward to bringing the festival back when it is safe to do so.

Wishing everyone safety and good health and don’t forget to share and listen via our social media feeds on June 6th!  

 

The Open Tuning team

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Facebook: facebook.com/opentuningfestival

Instagram: @opentuningfest

Twitter: @opentuningfest

 

Open Tuning is an inclusive event at which racist, sexist, homophobic,

or otherwise hateful language and lyrics will not be tolerated.

Open Tuning Announces 2020 Festival Date

Photo By Monica Gupta

It takes a Village to Host a Free Music Festival.

On Saturday June 6th, 2020 the 7th annual Open Tuning festival will once again resonate on the porches, garages and local businesses throughout Seaton Village – Toronto’s coolest downtown neighbourhood. This fabulously free festival is entirely volunteer organized and open to all musicians who can contribute their talent for free.

Last year’s festival saw over 30 community stages host more than 130 acts, including first-timers, some-timers, long-timers and up-and-comers + established acts. Everyone is welcome!

  • Save the date and join us in an afternoon and evening of musical discovery.

  • Feel free to explore this site to learn more about how you can join-in and help make 2020 another musically memorable success.

  • Look for our first volunteer organizer meeting announcement (in January 2020)
  • Open Tuning 2019 Needs Your Support

    Open Tuning’s volunteer organizers are hard at work putting the finishing touches on this year’s music festival – but we need help!

    Getting set to go on Saturday June 8th,  what we are now looking is financial support.

    go fund me-yellow-hat   

    CAN YOU HELP?  

    GoFundMe Donationgofundme-button 

    Gear_Return1

    Help bring back the 6th annual OPEN TUNING by making a donation on our GoFundMe Page. Yes, it’s a FREE Music Festival and we remain committed to running corporate sponsorship-free. Therefore we rely entirely upon individual donations.Funds go towards everything from renting sound equipment to paying for permits and printing posters.

    Thank you!

    It takes a village to present a free music festival like Open Tuning.

    3 Great Tips for Discovering Open Tuning 2019

    Open Tuning Map 2019
    Here are three easy ways to navigate and discover more than 150 acts performing simultaneously at 36 venues, between 2 pm and 10 pm, at Open Tuning Music Festival 2019, on June 8th:

    1. Go to our Open Tuning 2019 SCHED event Schedule online.  

    It’s mobile friendly and provides the most up to date and accurate listing of all acts and Venue schedules.  Download the app. Create your own personalized festival schedule. 

    Online and Mobile Festival Schedule

    2.  Download our printable Schedule

    Download both files below to get the full festival schedule on two printable 8×10 (copy size) PDF files.

    Print File #1: Venues 1 – 18
    Print File #2: Venues 19 – 36

    3.  Download our printable Venue Map in PDF format

    Open Tuning Map 2019
    Printable PDF Map of Festival

    And Finally: EXPLORE FREELY!

    Come explore the Festival:

      – head north-east into the neighbourhood (Google map)  from the Christie Subway station

    – or head north-west from Bathurst station – and follow your ears:

    • listen  for bands,
    • find rockin’ alleyway venues,
    • look for signage or
    • ask a roaming festival ambassador.

    There’s an info tent in Vermont Park  where a volunteer neighbour will be happy to answer any questions they can.

    See you at the Open Tuning!